


Not How I Thought It Would End

by afteriwake



Series: Chase The Morning [5]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 10:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They deserved a happy ending. Would they be lucky enough to get it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not How I Thought It Would End

_Three Months Later_

“You have to tell him.”

“I know. But...I just...”

“Tatsuki, if you don't tell him I will.”

“Ichigo!”

“He has every right to know.” He had barged into the girls bathroom and waited outside of the stall as Tatsuki threw up. Orihime had said she'd done it every morning for the last week, and some evenings too. She knew what was going on, and she had told Ichigo, and Ichigo had forced Tatsuki to go see his father. When the news had come back that she was pregnant, no one had been surprised except her. Isshin explained it, and then pointed to Ichigo and his daughters as examples that yes, it could happen.

There had been no lecture from him, only comforting words and the promise not to be the one to tell her parents, but to be there in case things went horribly wrong. And they had. Her parents had barely known there was someone in her life, but to find out she was pregnant and he was gone...well, disappointed would had been mild. Outraged was more like it, and she'd been told to collect the last of her things and leave. Orihime had said of course she could move in permanently, and all of her friends had rallied around her. It wouldn't affect her graduating, since they were to do that in a few days, but it did rule out university for her.

She was okay with that, though. It would have been nice, but once she'd wrapped her head around things, she was calmer about this. But Ichigo was right. He needed to know. She opened up the stall door, looked at him and then the wet paper towel he had in his hands, and took it gratefully. “I'll send the message tonight.”

“Good.” He grinned at her. “You know I've got your back if he can't come back, right?”

“I think you'll make a great uncle,” she said with a smile. “I mean...well, you know what I mean, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Ishida's pissed you ran out in the middle of his good-bye speech.”

“He's probably more pissed at you for running after me.”

“Yeah, but...I needed to.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

–

“Renji!”

He turned and saw Rukia tearing down the hallway towards him, heedless of who was scrambling to get out of her way as she headed towards him in a straight line. He paused, only because she had a tone of voice that shouted “This is important!” and he knew he had to wait. She caught up to him and, panting, handed him a sheet of paper. “Captain...Captain-Commander...wants to...talk to...you. About what...what is on...the paper.”

He grabbed the paper and looked at it, blinking. His eyes grew wide, and he lowered it. “This is true?”

She nodded. “Tatsuki sent it through Urahara to make sure it got here as quickly as possible.”

He felt the paper drop from his grasp but he did not care. “When does he want to see me?”

“As soon as you are able to get to the 1st Division headquarters.” He nodded, then picked her up and twirled her around slightly, heedless of who was watching. “Renji! He may not let you go back!”

This sobered him up quickly, and he set her down. “Oh.”

“But...I think nii-sama has spoken to him. And I spoke to nii-sama about it already since she asked for the message to be given to me first.”

“Why you first?”

“I think so I could tell you at a good time,” she said.

“I'm going to be a father,” he said quietly. “Even if he does not let me go back...I am going to be a _father_ , Rukia.”

“I know,” she said with a smile. “I have hopes that he will send you back. No child deserves to be fatherless, not if it can be helped.”

“Then keep your fingers crossed for me.”

“Would you like me to go with you?”

He shook his head. “No. No, I need to go by myself.”

“Then good luck, Renji.”

“Thanks, Rukia.”

–

She hadn't heard anything and it had been three days since she sent the message. No whisper of a response. The more she thought about it the more it depressed her. Maybe he had already moved on. Maybe he wasn't going to be allowed back. Maybe...maybe some Hollow had killed him and his...no. No, she mustn't think like that. But there had been no response, and it rankled her.

The knock on her door startled her, and she opened it up. Then her jaw dropped and suddenly she threw her arms around the neck of the man standing there. “Renji!” she half sobbed out.

“I told you I'd be back,” he said thickly, holding her close.

She pulled her face back and kissed him deeply, until she felt that now familiar wave of nausea start to overtake her. She pulled away and ran for the bathroom, just barely making it to the toilet in time. She had left the door open and heard him come in after her. He brushed the hair out of her way, hair that had become longer in the time he had been gone, and simply waited. When she was done he got up first and grabbed a washcloth, wetting it and handing it to her.

“How long...?” she asked.

“Not forever, but for as long as you need me,” he said with a grin. “And I hope you'll need me for a long time.”

“You're here to stay?” she asked, her eyes wide.

He nodded. “I am no longer a member of the Gotei 13. In fact, Rukia's now Lieutenant of my division. I think that was the only way Captain Kuchiki would ever let her be a seated officer. He can keep an eye on her better.”

“But what took so long?”

“I had to get rid of my things, watch Rukia formally take my position, say my good-byes and wait until they could set up a background for me so I could live here with you. Urahara said my gigai had always been modified to age, so I'm back in it. Permanently.”

“I'm glad you're here,” she said, hugging him again.

“Urahara filled me in on what you had told him. He's willing to help me find a job, even if it's slaving away for him.”

“Orihime said that if you came back, you could live here with us, until we can get settled.”

“That makes it easier,” he said with a grin when she pulled away. Then he sobered slightly. “I'm sorry about how this all happened.”

“Don't be. I graduate tomorrow, and...well, even if my parents want nothing to do with me I would still have the baby. And now I have you again.” She kissed him again. “We can make this work,” she said, a determined look on her face.

“Yes, we can,” he said with a nod. And suddenly everything felt whole and complete in his life again, and he was very very grateful for it.


End file.
